'''Culiacán''' (''Culiacán Rosales'') is a city in [[Sinaloa]], [[Mexico]]. It is rarely visited by foreign tourists and is heavily underrated as a tourist destination. However, Culiacán is very well-known by Mexicans for its distinct ''sinaloense'' culture.

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'''Culiacán''' (''Culiacán Rosales'') is a city in [[Sinaloa]], [[Mexico]]. It is rarely visited by foreign tourists and is heavily underrated as a tourist destination. Nearly all guide books on Mexico do not cover Culiacán and give very brief one-paragraph descriptions at most. However, Culiacán is very well-known by Mexicans for its distinct ''sinaloense'' culture.

==Understand==

==Understand==

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*'''Catedral de Nuestra Señora del Rosario'''

*'''Catedral de Nuestra Señora del Rosario'''

*'''Plazuela Alvaro Obregón'''

*'''Plazuela Alvaro Obregón'''

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*'''La Lomita'''

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*'''La Lomita''' — Also known the Temple of Our Lady of Guadalupe, this church is situated on the top of a hill directly to the south of the Zona Centro. It offers a breathtaking panoramic view of the city of Culiacán, and the sierras surrounding it. From the Plazuela Alvaro Obregón, take a bus that with a placard saying "Lomita" on its front window, and tell the bus driver to stop at La Lomita. It should take you south along Bulevar Alvaro Obregón.

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*'''Capilla de Jesús Malverde'''

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*'''Capilla de Jesús Malverde''' — This is the most well-known site in Culiacán. This chapel is dedicated to Jesús Malverde, a bandit who was executed in 1909 who has since become venerated as a folk saint by locals. Narcotraffickers and migrants alike visit this shrine to pay homage to Malverde, hoping for a successful journey up north. Malverde is often called "El Santo de los Narcotraficantes," although the chapel operators will say that he is far more than that. Plaques thanking Malverde adorn the chapel. The owner and operator of the shrine is Jesús ("Chuy") Manuel González, son of Eligio González (d. 2002), the shrine's founder.

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*'''Malecón'''

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Ironically, the Palacio Estatal (State Government of Sinaloa) lies almost directly in front of the chapel, on the other side of the street.

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A biographical booklet on Malverde is available for 50 pesos.

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*'''Malecón''' — Playgrounds and picnic tables abound on this beautiful and carefully maintained greenbelt which runs along the banks of the Río Tamazula.

*'''Museo de Arte de Sinaloa''' ('''MASIN''')

*'''Museo de Arte de Sinaloa''' ('''MASIN''')

*'''DIFOCUR'''

*'''DIFOCUR'''

*'''Ayuntamiento de Culiacán'''

*'''Ayuntamiento de Culiacán'''

*'''Parque Revolución'''

*'''Parque Revolución'''

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*'''Puente Negro'''

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*'''Puente Negro''' — This bridge is an iconic symbol of Culiacán, and is located at the confluence of the Humaya and Tamazula Rivers, which join together to form the Río Culiacán. [http://lacronica.culiacan.gob.mx/1/archivos/publicacion%20semanal/2008/171-jul-09-2008.pdf] This is comparable to the confluence of the Gombak and Klang Rivers in [[Kuala Lumpur]], as well as the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers in [[Pittsburgh]] (forming the Ohio River).

*'''Culiacán Zoo'''

*'''Culiacán Zoo'''

*'''Botanical Garden'''

*'''Botanical Garden'''

Revision as of 08:00, 19 January 2012

Culiacán (Culiacán Rosales) is a city in Sinaloa, Mexico. It is rarely visited by foreign tourists and is heavily underrated as a tourist destination. Nearly all guide books on Mexico do not cover Culiacán and give very brief one-paragraph descriptions at most. However, Culiacán is very well-known by Mexicans for its distinct sinaloense culture.

Contents

Understand

Culiacan is a large city located almost in the geographic center of the state of Sinaloa, about 900 miles south of the U.S.-Mexico border. Locals of Culiacán are known as culichis (Similarly, natives of Guadalajara are known as tapatios.).

Culiacán is famous for producing some of the best-known norteño and banda musical groups in Mexico, including Los Buitres de Culiacán, Los Bukanas de Culiacán, Larry Hernandez, Los Buchones de Culiacán.

Culiacán is dry for most of the year, except for the wet season which lasts from July to September.

Get in

By plane

Volaris offers three daily flights from Tijuana to Culiacán. A one-way ticket costs about $100 USD. There are also Volaris flights to Culiacán from Guadalajara and Mexico City.

By boat

The port of Altata is a tourist beach town directly to the west of Culiacán. By car, it is about 50 km or 1 hour from Culiacán.

Get around

Taxis are plentiful in the Centro.

By Car

AGA Rent a Car, Av. Camaron Sabalo #312-A, Zona Dorada, [1]. AGA Rent-A-Car has been renting vehicles to travelers and local renters since 1989. Its first location opened in Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico and it has since expanded to serve Los Mochis and Culiacán, with locations both at the the airport and in town.

See

Catedral de Nuestra Señora del Rosario

Plazuela Alvaro Obregón

La Lomita — Also known the Temple of Our Lady of Guadalupe, this church is situated on the top of a hill directly to the south of the Zona Centro. It offers a breathtaking panoramic view of the city of Culiacán, and the sierras surrounding it. From the Plazuela Alvaro Obregón, take a bus that with a placard saying "Lomita" on its front window, and tell the bus driver to stop at La Lomita. It should take you south along Bulevar Alvaro Obregón.

Capilla de Jesús Malverde — This is the most well-known site in Culiacán. This chapel is dedicated to Jesús Malverde, a bandit who was executed in 1909 who has since become venerated as a folk saint by locals. Narcotraffickers and migrants alike visit this shrine to pay homage to Malverde, hoping for a successful journey up north. Malverde is often called "El Santo de los Narcotraficantes," although the chapel operators will say that he is far more than that. Plaques thanking Malverde adorn the chapel. The owner and operator of the shrine is Jesús ("Chuy") Manuel González, son of Eligio González (d. 2002), the shrine's founder.

Ironically, the Palacio Estatal (State Government of Sinaloa) lies almost directly in front of the chapel, on the other side of the street.

A biographical booklet on Malverde is available for 50 pesos.

Malecón — Playgrounds and picnic tables abound on this beautiful and carefully maintained greenbelt which runs along the banks of the Río Tamazula.

Museo de Arte de Sinaloa (MASIN)

DIFOCUR

Ayuntamiento de Culiacán

Parque Revolución

Puente Negro — This bridge is an iconic symbol of Culiacán, and is located at the confluence of the Humaya and Tamazula Rivers, which join together to form the Río Culiacán. [2] This is comparable to the confluence of the Gombak and Klang Rivers in Kuala Lumpur, as well as the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers in Pittsburgh (forming the Ohio River).

Culiacán Zoo

Botanical Garden

Presa Sanalona

Do

There are casinos, malls, discos, theaters, Applebee's restaurant and much more.

Musicians, consisting of norteño, banda, and mariachi bands, can be found on Bulevar Francisco I. Madero (the Mazatlán-Culiacán highway, or the 15) between General Aquilines Serdán and Venustiano Carranza. There are Pemex gas stations at both intersections. Many musicians have rented out buildings, and some of the bandas have their own trailers. The norteño bands tend to congregate around the Madero & Carranza intersection, which is easily recognizable because of the 135-degree bend that Venustiano Carranza makes at the intersection. Norteño bands can also be found at the Mercado Garmendia playing for tips.

Learn

Work

Buy

In the centre are many little stores where you can buy anything.

Mercado Garmendia

Eat

Budget

Restaurant Huy Fong is a newly opened Chinese restaurant offering very affordable meals for around 50 pesos or less. It is located just north of the catedral at the intersection of Alvaro Obregon (the main street that runs north-south) and General Antonio Rosales; to the left of Subway. Located in the Centro.

Mid-range

Restaurant China-loa offers an all-you-can-eat buffet for 90 pesos. Located in the Centro.

Splurge

Drink

Sleep

Microtel Inn & Suites is a 113-room hotel located in a new developed zone of the city adjacent to the Modern Hospital Angels of Culiacan. [3]

Budget

Hotel Sevilla offers rooms for 300 pesos per night. It is located on Morelos Street (which runs north-south) between Escobedo and Colón, in the Zona Centro. It is in the 170's block, located on the east side of the sidewalk. The lobby room has a guest computer with Internet, free of charge. Filtered water is also free.

Mid-range

Hotel La Quinta Posada Real offers rooms for 500 pesos per night. It is located near the intersection of Francisco I. Madero & Venustiano Carranza Boulevards.

Splurge

Contact

Stay safe

Downtown Culiacán is safe to walk around during the daytime and evenings (before midnight). Traveling around the outskits ("colonias") of Culiacán at night is not recommended.

Traffic in Culiacán can be extremely aggressive, much more so than in many other parts of Mexico. Locals will attribute this to the "sinaloense" attitude, which is stereotypically aggressive, proud, and boisterous.

Culiacán (along with the town of Badiraguato) is notorious for being the birthplaces and residences of many drug lords and narcotraffickers. Mexicans from other states will often point out that Culiacán is very dangerous to visit. However, overall Culiacán is still much safer than Ciudad Juárez and many Central American cities. Most deaths occur only among drug cartels and federal armed forces.